Explore

Redesigned Practicum

Practicum has been redesigned by the Practicum Adviser Justin Latici for students starting their practicum in Fall of 2019 or later. Head over to the new Practicum page to check it out and get a detailed view of what the new practicum experience looks like.

An integral part of the McBride Honors Program is the requirement that students develop an individualized experiential learning opportunity. This can involve foreign study, service, internships, research, or specialized training in such diverse fields as foreign language, law, international business, or archaeology. Working with faculty mentors, students design customized projects that complement their educational focus and further their career aspirations.

The McBride Honors Program helps students pursue these amazing opportunities by providing expert advice – and awards. Thanks to the generosity of the program’s supporters, beginning Fall 2012 every McBride student is eligible to apply for an Honors Enrichment Award to help defray the costs associated with these activities. Awards vary, but often range from $1,000-$4,000.

In addition, the program helps students pursue nationally competitive scholarships. McBride also provides its own special awards to recognize the exceptional achievements of our Honors students.

Service Learning

Many McBride Honors students are interested in “giving back” by engaging in service learning or volunteer work. McBride students understand the value of serving a cause greater than themselves. Some students participate in service in their local communities; others engage in volunteer work abroad. McBride strongly encourages (but does not require) students to gain this kind of experience, and it helps students identify, pursue, and complete various opportunities.

Students have two broad options for integrating service into the McBride experience:

  • You can use a service learning or volunteer experience to fulfill the McBride practicum requirement. A wide range of opportunities in the U.S. and abroad are eligible. To receive practicum credit for such a program, students must first complete a practicum proposal and follow the practicum guidelines as specified online.
  • Occasionally, the McBride Program will organize or co-sponsor a service learning course, such as the Spring 2013 service learning course in Denver and Honduras. Those opportunities will be publicized to all eligible McBride students as they arise.
Awards Support

The McBride Program offers award support to help students participate in service learning or volunteer programs, whether in the United States or abroad. To be eligible for award support, the experience must meet one of the following criteria: (a) service is unpaid; (b) service carries with it high unreimbursed expenses, such as a program fee or travel; (c) service is pursued in fulfillment of the McBride practicum requirement.

Service Support

Many organizations help organize service-learning or volunteer programs abroad. A wide range of opportunities is listed in the study abroad section.

Experiential Learning

Education experts use the term “experiential learning” to describe a simple idea: “learning by doing.” The McBride Honors Program understands the unique value of independent learning and learning by doing. Students are encouraged to seek as many opportunities as possible for expanding their minds by exploring and engaging the world around them.

The program also helps students pursue a special summer or semester-long educational program outside the CSM curriculum, such as intensive foreign language program, summer archaeological field school, semester in DC, National Collegiate Honors Council summer or semester program, Semester at Sea, etc. Examples of some of these kinds of activities are listed below.

Students have two broad options for integrating an experiential learning program into the McBride experience:

  • You can use the experiential learning program to fulfill the McBride practicum requirement. To receive practicum credit for such a program, students must first complete a practicum proposal and follow the practicum guidelines as specified online.
  • You can use experiential courses programs to earn regular McBride credit. The program may allow you to fulfill up to 6-credits toward the minor through an approved program. To be eligible for McBride credit, such courses must be approved in advance by the program director as documented in a signed Transfer Credit Prior/Post-Approval Form.
Educational Programs

National Collegiate Honors Council Programs

NCHC is the umbrella organization for Honors Programs in the United States. Each year, the program offers a couple of special Honors courses in extraordinary settings. These opportunities will be announced to McBride students as they come up.

Partners in the Parks

An outdoor experiential learning program in U.S. national parks, co-sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Semester at Sea

Students will take a full semester of classes on a cruise ship and learn about various topics as they travel around the world.

Summer Programs

Many schools offer intensive language programs to help students rapidly learn a foreign language. Among the best are:

Middlebury College Summer Language School

Generally regarded as the best. Offers programs from beginning to advanced, with programs on campuses in Vermont and California.

Monterey Institute Summer Language Program

Excellent intensive language program in a fantastic setting.

Award Support

The McBride Program offers scholarship and award support to help students complete various experiential learning opportunities – especially if pursued to fulfill the practicum requirement. To be eligible for scholarship support, the experience must meet one of the following criteria: (a) it is unpaid or for very low pay; (b) it includes high unreimbursed expenses, such as for supplies, a program fee, or travel.